Group interventions with cancer patients: Efficacy of psychoeducational versus supportive groups

Cancer support groups have become increasingly available to patients over the last two decades. Although the various patient groups differ in their philosophy, membership, and aims, the majority can be categorized as predominantly "supportive" or "psychoeducational" in their approach. To date, there is little evidence regarding the relative benefits of the two types of group in improving patients' psychological outcomes. This article presents a critical review of the evidence for the relative efficacy of the two approaches. A search of the literature using CD-ROM databases identified 15 studies of acceptable design that quantitatively evaluated psychological outcomes of one or both types of group intervention. Although some findings have been inconsistent, the majority of evidence suggests that patients who attend psychoeducational groups experience greater benefits than do those who attend purely supportive groups. Further well-designed research in this area is needed to identify specific patient cohorts that are most likely to benefit from each approach.